Latest Techdirt Commentshttps://www.techdirt.com/
Easily digestible tech news....A Proposed Letterhttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170921/09215938257/scientific-publishers-want-upload-filter-to-stop-academics-sharing-their-own-papers-without-permission.shtml#c380
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 15:00:18 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170921/09215938257/scientific-publishers-want-upload-filter-to-stop-academics-sharing-their-own-papers-without-permission.shtml#c380It was very thoughtful of you to build such a software system for us. Had you contacted us beforehand we would have been able to save you the wasted effort. Since such an automated system can be abused to silence constitutionally protected speech including if not specifically speech that is critical of STM or any of its members, as such we cannot rationalize giving out veto powers.

The services we provide are very much like a bulletin board for scientists and researchers. We do not want or condone our platform being used for illegal activity. Being somewhat familiar with our own business, we already have existing measures in place. Your advice in our business affairs and procedures may come of as a bit arrogant, condescending and dictatorial but is nonetheless cute.

The afore-mentioned existing procedures are as follows. If you are aware of our services being used for a seriously criminal purpose, please contact the proper authorities so that we may assist them in a thorough investigation and locating the guilty party. If, as your letter indicates your primary concern is someone using our services for copyright infringement, guess what we already have procedures in place for that too. If it is your own intellectual property being infringed please file a DMCA take down request as outlined here: https://www.researchgate.net/application.IntellectualPropertyPolicy.html If it is a member's intellectual property please refer them to said procedures or to us and we can point them there. Have a nice day.

RG]]>Re: Re: Re: "FBI Misconstrued" is much too mildhttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170926/09401438287/fbi-misconstrued-content-doc-leaker-reality-winners-jailhouse-calls.shtml#c109
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:50:34 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170926/09401438287/fbi-misconstrued-content-doc-leaker-reality-winners-jailhouse-calls.shtml#c109Giving them the benefit of the doubt you could say that they, along with many other agencies and groups, have been infected by 'The Good Guy' disease.

The Good Guys are never wrong.

The Good Guys don't make mistakes.

The Good Guys are on the side of justice 100%.

Given the above if The Good Guys know that someone is guilty, and know that they will cause damage if they aren't 'stopped', then whatever it takes to accomplish that is acceptable.

Lie to a judge? Better than than one of The Bad Guys have even the slightest bit of freedom they might use for Bad Stuff.

Target for a sting desperate or literally mentally handicapped? They obviously were criminals, so it's better to get them in a cell 'just in case'.

Remember: The Good Guys Are Never Wrong.

]]>https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c856
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:48:22 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c856https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00wQYmvfhn4]]>https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c147
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:46:50 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c147https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c136
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:25:44 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c136https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c648
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:25:13 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c648It's different in that these two dipshits should have known better, given all the blathering their orange shit-stain of a father did about emails for 9 months.]]>Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: don't woryhttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c836
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:22:37 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c836The only reason for not picking a name to post under and sticking to it is so you can't be held to your previous statements. So do not bleat to us about having your position misrepresented because we're not remembering your earlier posts. It's your own stupid fault.]]>Re: Re:https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c628
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:18:55 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c628Re:https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170926/09401438287/fbi-misconstrued-content-doc-leaker-reality-winners-jailhouse-calls.shtml#c102
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:15:43 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170926/09401438287/fbi-misconstrued-content-doc-leaker-reality-winners-jailhouse-calls.shtml#c102https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c614
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:10:34 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c614Re: Ethnic cleansinghttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c129
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:08:19 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c129there is nothing clean about it .. in fact it is itself quite dirty, disgusting and stupid. It does nothing to clean the ethnicity of anyone, group, whatever. It should be called what it is .. genocide]]>Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: don't woryhttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c824
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 14:08:09 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c824"the other problem is that you think I am advancing the notion that we need to completely deregulate, I am not."

The perhaps you should stop talking as if that's exactly what you want, and explain what your miracle third option is.

One clear difference is that Ivanka Trump was a volunteer in February. She didn't actually become a federal employee until March 30 of this year.

Technically correct, but utter BS. Ivanka's presence in White House meetings and role as advisor to the President was well publicized and documented. March 30th simply made it official.

Don't take a paycheck, you're not an employee.

Utterly irrelevant, from a security standpoint.

Suppose Hillary had played the "I don't use email" card and had an aide use their private email to send the same emails. If that aide were a private non-government employee, would that have made it all peachy-keen?

]]>https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c588
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:52:05 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c588Don't ban hate speech...https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c127
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:44:02 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00313238274/rohingya-ethnic-cleansing-once-again-demonstrates-why-demanding-platforms-censor-bad-speech-creates-problems.shtml#c127The Great Compromise of 1787https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00175738273/larry-lessigs-latest-big-challenge-fixing-way-we-elect-president.shtml#c12
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:41:15 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170923/00175738273/larry-lessigs-latest-big-challenge-fixing-way-we-elect-president.shtml#c12When the framers of this country considered representation they wanted to respect the rights of all people. However, many of the tiny eastern states (e.g. Delaware, Rhode Island) would have a lot less say in federal matters than larger territories cum states such as California, Deseret, etc.

The "Great Compromise" called for creating two houses of Congress. One would have equal representation based on the population of the states -- that is the House of Representatives, although it guarantees a two-representative minimum. The other house would have an equal number of representatives from every states -- that is the Senate.

The Great Compromise called that states' votes for the President would be a sum of the fixed reps (2 senators) and the variable reps (2+ representatives). That is the basis for the vote distribution.

When one says it's difficult to justify the [continued] existence of the electoral college one should reflect on how it's designed to balance the large-population states' rights with the small-population states' rights. It is NOT designed to balance the rights of individual voters! That was NOT its goal and it certainly does NOT do that and will NEVER do that.

So jumping from an understanding of why we have it, an informed voter may say "Well one man one vote, so get rid of the electoral college." The same voter may then consider that if we truly had one man one vote then STATES no longer have power over the election. (This also obviates the "winner take all" problem). It would mean lots of changes, some good, and some not so good:

o Candidates would rarely stump in rural areaso In areas of predominantly red or blue states, the disenfranchised people would finally get to vote

As a fan of true democracy -- which this country doesn't do -- I would love to see the removal of the electoral college and replacement with verified secure accountable transparent voting by the population of citizens for the office of President of the United States.

For the reasons cited above I don't expect the States of the Union and the politicians running them to support removal of their power anytime ever.

Ehud GavronUS Citizen and a blue guy in a red state]]>Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: don't woryhttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c799
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:41:01 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c799Take a quick guess on how many of you remember that the next time I trash talk the current regulations or rib people for supporting bad regulations?"

Wait...am I supposed to know who TF you are? Like I will follow an Anonymous commenter from one article to the next?

Jeez, you could barely expect that kind of recognition if you used your real name, but you want me to put each of your comments into the context of your larger body of *anonymous* work?]]>Re: Re: Re: don't woryhttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c795
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:36:29 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c795Then you should like the blocking of this merger based on anti-trust policy. Because blocking a deal doesn't involve very much gov't interference, nor any ongoing rules or compliance. It's a one-time gov't intervention, then allow competition to work its magic.]]>Re: Re:https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c564
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:33:43 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170925/13052438281/members-trumps-admin-team-using-private-email-accounts-because-course-they-are.shtml#c564The volunteer role is why people were so uneasy, she wasn't accountable to a lot of rules and policies, and that's what led to her becoming an actual employee. Until then, if you don't hold employees like Clinton accountable, you sure as hell can't hold a volunteer accountable.

She can be held accountable for anything as of March 30th.

Kushner is a different story. He's not and was not a volunteer during those times.]]>Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: don't woryhttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c784
Tue, 26 Sep 2017 13:32:42 PDThttps://www.techdirt.com/articles/20170922/11542938271/prepare-epic-bullshit-sales-pitch-competition-killing-sprint-t-mobile-merger.shtml#c784Yes, regulation could help the public here.

If you like free markets, then you should dislike monopoly, and its ugly step-sister, oligopoly. In Oligopoly markets, the vendors have price control and the ability to impede market entry from new competitors.

This market control results in NOT a free market, but one controlled by the oligopolists. The most obvious results are: reduced quality of services and/or higher prices.

Well-placed anti-trust regulations can interfere in the market in such a way as to raise competition, and actually make the market more closely resemble a "free market".

The obvious example here is the Anti-trust breakup of the AT&T monopoly 1982, which had incredible payoff in terms of lower prices, and creating more efficient competitors that out-performed the old Ma Bell.